Forest Trail Academy has reached an agreement to merge with Thomasville Preparatory Academy and founder Delaney Rudd effective immediately. The merger will benefit student athletes with spectacular furnished housing sitting on over 30 acres of land, a state of the art fitness center, additional sports offerings, and a quality education that is necessary to assist student-athletes in their quest to obtain SCHOLARSHIPS.

Online Middle School (Grades 6-8)

Forest Trail Academy’s online middle school program offers virtual homeschool education with an interactive curriculum for grade 6 through grade 8 in an online learning environment. Middle school education serves as the bridge between elementary school and high school education. It is very natural for students to realize their strengths and become aware of where their interests lie during this phase, which then helps shape the course of their future education. Very often, middle school forms the crux of a child’s learning inclinations as well as their chance to explore opportunities in spheres other than academics.

Online Middle Schools v/s traditional middle schools?

Online middle schools aren’t really that different from traditional middle schools. The quality of an online middle school curriculum delivered is of the same standards and access is provided to teachers much in the same way. However, with online learning systems, the mode of delivery differs vastly from traditional schooling environments. Here, the process of learning is completely online, which makes varying the pace of learning a lot easier and flexible and at the same time a lot more enjoyable as well. Teachers too, are given access to all of their students but in a much more efficient manner. In an online environment provided by Forest Trail Academy teachers are able to interact with each student individually and assess their specific needs. In traditional environments however, teachers are required to establish a single pace of learning that is required to cater to the entire class.

Online school education has drastically brought down the teacher-to-student ratio, which in turn has not only benefited students in terms of the quality of education delivered but has also helped teachers improve the effectiveness of their teaching abilities. Customizing efforts for each student individually considering their specific needs has certainly helped teachers prove to be more effective in their teaching practices and the results are evident in the improved progress of students. Online school learning courses have greatly increased the reach of education with web-based platforms making inroads in rural districts and in foreign countries as well. Having transcended all kinds of physical borders, online home schooling is now shaping up to be the future of the education system, not just in the United States but in other parts of the world as well.

Having more choices available in terms of online courses has also contributed to students exploring new avenues and taking on courses they would have otherwise overlooked. The diverse range of material available online too, makes exploring subject matter a lot easier and definitely more convenient. Since the platform is designed to cater to each student’s individual needs, academically stronger students are given a free rein to explore their potential while academically weaker ones are spared the extra stress of having to cope with them. They can freely explore their matter at their own pace and make sure they grasp the concepts before moving forward. The middle school course curriculum of online schools is just as rigorous as that of traditional schools and is required to meet certain standards of accreditation as well.

Is online middle school education the best option for your child?

Before deciding on whether an online middle school is the best way to go for your child, parents need to evaluate different aspects of their child’s current situation. Children who are accustomed to learning in an online environment (having studied in an online elementary school) will certainly find it a lot easier to adapt and cope with the online middle school curriculum. Those from a traditional school however, may need more time to adjust and adapt to an online learning education system. Making sure you pick online education as a preferred mode of learning for the right reasons is essential to helping your child grow in the right manner and achieve their full potential. Several online schools in the country including Forest Trail Academy have student advisors and counselors to help with need-based analyses to decide on options that would be best suited for the child’s overall learning needs.

Being able to modify the pace of learning is one of the significant benefits online schools provide you with, it isn’t however, the only one. Another significant benefit of studying online is the level of convenience an online platform offers you. Parents who enroll their children for online education courses find that their children are not as stressed out and have a lot more spare time during which they can choose to pursue other interests and hobbies. Spending more time with family is an added advantage given our hectic lifestyles and fast-paced schedules. Students who decide to adopt online learning methods at this stage also stand to learn how to be independent, which is crucial to their success in higher grades. In other words, middle school can be seen as more of a prelude to high school.

The role of Parents when a child is enrolled for middle school education

Parents form a crucial part of a student’s life at this stage when their child is enrolled with grade 6 to grade 8 middle school curriculum. As the workload increases, students look toward their parents for help and solutions that will help them carry their responsibilities. Moving the entire education platform online is one way online schools have helped improve efficiency in delivering education and at the same time have brought down costs significantly. But costs and convenience aren’t the only aspects parents need to be concerned about. Like any other grade, parents need to monitor their child’s schedule regularly to ensure they are keeping up with their school curriculum and meeting assignment deadlines. They are also responsible for keeping in touch with their child’s teachers on a regular basis to follow up on progress made as well as take stock of any challenges their child may be facing.

Parents have a lot more options to choose from in terms of middle school course curriculum when evaluating online home schooling as an alternative. They can also help children get away from negative and damaging situations in certain cases where the situation can be detrimental to their learning process. For those concerned about social interaction, online education systems also provide students with an alternative that involves scheduling gatherings with their peers to help foster friendships – a process common to the traditional environment. One of the encouraging factors at this stage is that parental supervision isn’t as vital as that required at the elementary school level. Students are capable of being a little more autonomous and parents can afford to let go of the reins just a little bit.

For any further information or queries you can contact our Academic Advisor, who will help you in resolving your queries. We are also available on call at 800.890.6269 / 561.537.5501.